Alexis Klatt - Sterling Heights, MichiganAlexis received her undergraduate degree in Social Work and Criminal Justice from Michigan State University in May 2015. She is now pursuing a Master’s Degree in Social Work, also at Michigan State University. Alexis spent this past summer working with Miracle Kidz, a nonprofit organization based in South Africa that specializes in rescuing and rehabilitating abandoned and abused children. During the 2015-2016 school year, she will be an intern at SHAR, a rehabilitation facility, working with adults recovering from addiction. Alexis hopes to eventually work as a social worker in the criminal justice system tackling the cycle of crime and violence and working to reduce rates of recidivism amongst offenders. Alexis is an active volunteer working with youth in Macomb County. She enjoys hockey, spending time with her loved ones and her dog Leo, volunteering at her church, and going to concerts. Ultimately, she hopes to change the world. This is Alexis’ second ENF scholar award.

Brian Burks - Los Altos, CaliforniaBrian is a freshman at the University of California at Berkeley. Artistically, he loves the piano. Anatomically, he has CF. Academically, he is a mathematician. Brian enjoys the thrill and challenge of solving difficult problems. He has achieved at the national level in high school mathematics competitions, and is an active participant in CF research studies. Playing the piano provides a necessary break from the demands of his life. Chopin's Ballade in G minor is particularly meaningful to Brian. Passing through contrasting moods, the piece reflects Chopin's own battle with his health. Chopin’s cause of death was ruled to be tuberculosis but some believe he actually had CF. Brian's hobbies include solving Nikoli-style puzzles, and creating, as well as discovering solutions to, mechanical puzzles similar to Rubik's cubes. Brian appreciates the support of the CF community and specifically the Elizabeth Nash Foundation.

Sarah Silas - Corpus Christi, TexasSarah is a freshman at Texas A&M Kingsville. She is majoring in Communication Science and Disorders, with a minor in Psychology. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in order to become a pediatric speech pathologist. Sarah hopes to help young children with their disabilities and make a difference in their lives just as she was helped with her CF as a child. She has volunteered for many organizations including the food bank, and assisted special needs kids in the Corpus Christi Special Olympics. Sarah is very active in her church community, serving as a Sunday school assistant, an altar server, a retreat leader and an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. Her hobbies include photography, painting, baking and playing guitar. Sarah and her family are annual participants in the Great Strides Walk to raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Samantha Ackerley - York, MaineSamantha is a freshman at Emerson College in Boston, MA. She is majoring in Marketing Communications and dreams of working in the marketing department of one of the Boston sports teams. Samantha took all honors classes in high school and graduated with high honors. She is a member of the National Honor Society and the Société Honoraire de Français. She is an active volunteer in her community. She participates in walk-a-thons for several different organizations including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She is very grateful for all the research that has been accomplished by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in recent years and wants to help as much as she can. Samantha hopes to bring CF awareness to Emerson College and to get more people involved with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Great Strides walk. In addition, she hopes to participate in another clinical trial. It is important to her that she gives back, and by participating in these trials she knows she can help improve the lives of many others.

Joe Morris - Athens, GeorgiaJoe graduated from the University of Georgia in 2014 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology and Minor in Public Health. He is now beginning a Master's program in Health Policy and Management at the University of Minnesota. He is principally interested in health policy and medical sociology. He hopes to explore the intersection of these topics in graduate school and beyond. Through health systems and policy research, he aims to help shape the next generation of American healthcare. At the University of Georgia, Joe was President of the ultimate frisbee club team and a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, a service organization. He has served as an advisor for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and participates in Great Strides. In his spare time, Joe enjoys playing competitive ultimate frisbee and listening to records.

Ashley Aken - Windermere, FloridaAshley is a freshman at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, FL. She plans to study athletic training and minor in education. Her career goals are clear: to become an athletic trainer for the NFL. Ashley volunteered many hours for her high school’s athletic training program, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She loves helping people and spreading awareness about CF. In high school Ashley was very involved as Captain of the varsity lacrosse team, President of the student athletic training group, and Vice President of student government. Ashley is also the captain of her Great Strides walk team, Ashley’s Angels, and is frequently acknowledged as the top fundraiser in her area.

Mackenzie Guilford - Defiance, OhioMackenzie is a sophomore at the University of Findlay in Findlay, OH majoring in Occupational Therapy. She maintained a 4.0 GPA and was named to the dean’s list for both the fall and spring semesters of her freshmen year. Mackenzie plans to pursue a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy and hopes to use her education and personal experiences to improve the lives of those with illnesses or life threatening diseases like CF. She remains active in her community and school participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, the Student Occupational Therapy Association and the Newman Club, where she is the public relations representative. Mackenzie also holds annual fundraisers for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Distance running continues to be one of her passions and is an important form of airway clearance for her. She participates in several 5K races every year and would like to someday participate in a half marathon. This is Mackenzie’s second ENF award.

Kayleigh MacGregor - Mammoth Lakes, CaliforniaKayleigh is a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She plans to double major in microbiology and psychology. Her goal is to be at the top of her class and then apply to Harvard Medical School to become a pediatric surgeon. Kayleigh has been active in downhill ski racing since she was eight years old and has raced competitively for ten years. She has received many medals both regionally and nationally. In high school, Kayleigh volunteered at her local hospital twice a week and assisted a biologist studying the ecosystem of streams near the high sierras. Kayleigh has been a speaker for many cystic fibrosis related functions both through the CF Foundation and ski racing foundations. Along with her athletic achievements, Kayleigh was ranked 6th in her class and was a member of the National Honor Society. Kayleigh plans to continue her volunteer work through the UW Madison hospital and to participate in starting a local fundraiser for CF research in Madison sometime this year.

Tess Dunn - Santa Cruz, CaliforniaTess is a junior at Expression College for Digital Arts in Emeryville, CA, where she is majoring in Sound Arts. Tess is a singer-songwriter-keyboardist. She has released three albums of original music, and performs regularly along the West Coast. She is a strong CF advocate, who uses her music to raise awareness about the disease – whether on stage, through her website and social media sites, or during interviews. Tess’ life as a musician with CF was the focus of a Vans Off The Wall TV episode, and she was part of the music and film project, “The Breathe Song Event,” produced by CF Voice. She regularly contributes her time performing at benefits in support of her favorite causes, including Cystic Fibrosis Research Inc., the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Grind Out Hunger (a program to end childhood hunger), and Jacob’s Heart (a program for children battling cancer). After graduation, Tess hopes to pursue a career in music, both as a performer and engineer. This is Tess’ third year as an ENF scholarship recipient.

Spencer Shapiro - Simsbury, Connecticut Spencer is a sophomore at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. He is majoring in Accounting and Finance and plans to get a Master's degree and earn his CPA. He ultimately hopes to work in a sports or sports marketing organization. His dream job would be to work at ESPN. Spencer has been very active in fundraising for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation by speaking at numerous events and organizing an annual Great Strides walk. He created a not-for-profit organization called Crafts4Charities with the purpose of selling donated artwork and giving 100% of the proceeds directly to four charities - the American Cancer Society, Alzheimer's Association, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and National Spinal Cord Injury Association. To date he has raised more than $10,000 to support the research efforts of these organizations.

Sarah Young - Columbus, OhioSarah is a second year student at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She hopes to become a laboratory animal veterinarian, and to continue conducting research in the field of pulmonary medicine. Before attending veterinary school, she worked at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital as a research assistant in the Critical Care Department. There she conducted pulmonary based research involving lung development, and compensatory lung growth. Sarah is a member of the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association, and served as a presider at the 2015 Midwest Veterinary Conference. She is also a member of the Student American Veterinary Medical Association where she is a part of the Community Outreach Committee, and a member of the American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners. During the summer of 2015, Sarah worked as a participant in the Veterinary Research Scholars Program at OSU’s Veterinary School, where she conducted research on the immune system response of CF patient airway epithelial cells to the influenza virus. Sarah was inspired to continue her career in research, and to become a laboratory animal veterinarian, by her family, her health care team at University of Cincinnati’s Adult CF Clinic, her amazing colleagues at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and her veterinary school mentor, Ian Davis.

Reno Horton - Mount Prospect, IllinoisReno is a freshman at Marquette University majoring in Criminology and Law Studies. After graduating, Reno’s professional goal is to pursue a career in federal law enforcement. Reno has chosen this career path to serve his country while helping and protecting its citizens. He has raised funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Great Strides walk through his Team Rocketing to the Cure. He has also fundraised for the Wounded Warrior Project, and other charities. During high school Reno twice attended the Harvard Model Congress held at Harvard University in Cambridge. After participating and enjoying many years competing in both cross country and ice hockey, Reno is now focused on maintaining and improving his health and physical growth with CrossFit. At the conclusion of the 2015 CrossFit Open earlier this year, Reno was ranked 30th in the world for all athletes 19 and under. His ultimate physical goal is making it to the CrossFit Games.

Justin Jacobs - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Justin earned his Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Technology in 2011 from Millersville University. Upon graduation he accepted a position with the C.F. Martin Guitar Company and became very interested in building guitars. He has personally built four guitars and began teaching inlay classes at Northampton Community College. Justin’s most significant work was the creation of the “65 Roses” guitar. He built three such guitars, acquired 65 celebrity signatures (including Willie Nelson, David Crosby, Slash, 38 Special, John Mayer, and Anne and Nancy Wilson of Heart), and auctioned them off to both increase awareness of CF and raise money for continued research for a cure. Currently Justin is a graduate student of Engineering and Technical Entrepreneurship at Lehigh University. Along with participating in CF research studies, he will continue to teach classes, be a part of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Great Strides walk, and pay it forward by auctioning off another 65 Roses guitar. Justin firmly believes “We will find a cure!”